The invention relates to a clutch device disposed between a transmission-receiving member and a drive motor for transmitting drive power from the drive motor to the transmission-receiving member. Accordingly, it is possible to drive the transmission-receiving member such as a paper feed roller in a photocopier, facsimile, printer, and the like upon receiving the drive power of the drive motor.
As a clutch device for transmitting drive power to a paper feed roller in a photocopier and the like, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1 filed by the applicant.
Such a clutch device has an input side rotating body, an output side rotating body, an inner sleeve body, an outer sleeve body, and braking means for the outer sleeve body rotating around a main shaft. The inner sleeve body is assembled on the output side rotating body in a state being capable of rotation only in the axial direction of the main shaft. The input side rotating body and the inner sleeve body are connected by a main connection part, and the inner sleeve body and the outer sleeve body are connected by a sub connection part. A catching surface is formed on the sub connection part. When the accompanying rotation of the outer sleeve body is stopped by the braking means, the inner sleeve body is moved slightly by inertia in the direction of forward rotation, while compressing and contracting a coil spring for urging in the direction of connecting the main connection part of the inner sleeve body to the main connection part of the input side rotating body with a cam surface on the sub connection part. As a result, the connection between the main connection parts is broken, and also the sub connection parts contact with each other at the catching surfaces. Also, a state in which the rotational force of the input side rotating body is not transmitted to the output side rotating body (OFF state) is maintained.
Accordingly, in such a clutch device, since the production of the OFF state is made to depend on the inertial forward rotation of the inner sleeve body, there is a room to perform further work on the mechanism for assuredly producing the OFF state even when the rotational force acting on the input side rotating body is not very great.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-258744.
An object of the present invention is to provide a clutch device, in which the drive power from the input side is transmitted without loss to the output side during transmission of drive power, and resistance is not caused to the extent possible in idle rotation of the input side rotating body constituting the clutch device during non-transmission of drive power. Also, the state of non-transmission of drive power is assuredly produced even when the drive power on the input side is not very great.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.